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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... 10:48 - Jan 24 with 6465 viewsthehat


Just watched Clive's pick from the Sheff Wed game back in 1988 - I was one of the hardy souls in a crowd of just over 8K - I also remember days in the early Premier League when we still struggled to get over 13k.

Isn't it great despite our recent troubles on the pitch to see Loftus Road packed to the rafters and a whole new generation of fans coming through the ranks.

Our fanbase certainly seems to have grown in recent seasons and it looks like giving the lower school end to home fans with cheaper tickets will help this trend continue.

The future is bright........
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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 23:47 - Jan 24 with 1247 viewsBoston

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 23:00 - Jan 24 by kensalriser

Pretty sure I can remember standing in the paddocks long after 1976! Stoke in 83/84 comes to mind.


You would be correct. When they put the executive boxes in, terraces returned, for a while.

Poll: Thank God The Seaons Over.

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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 00:03 - Jan 25 with 1199 viewsstowmarketrange

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 23:35 - Jan 24 by numptydumpty

Genius - thank you.

Finally an opportunity to tell my often told gag.

I have aforesaid tattoo on my genitalia.

It simply says "QPR" but when I am excited it says "QUEENS PARK RANGERS"

For some strange reason my better half, thinks this has no comedy value as I retell it for the umpteenth time !!!


You couldn’t fit football club on it then?
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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 08:21 - Jan 25 with 1046 viewsNewYorkRanger

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:07 - Jan 24 by GaryBannister86

Brilliant. Just one of the many reasons the words to West London is Wonderful need to be changed, and fast.


Strong agree - I'm a Dad and daughterer (but not one of the five mentioned here). That and the Marti Cifuentes song - the last line of that needs to be changed mostly because it's just awful!

Anyway, back to the theme here - I think a lot of it was due to crowd trouble. Pretty much every game in the 80's had some kind of incident. Probably the worst I can remember was Luton away in a cup replay (maybe 88). Home fans were baned for league games at Luton after the Millwall riot but FA Cup rules meant they had to allow away fans.

There was a police escort from the station before the game. There was not one for the return journey. Me and my mates spent an hour being chased all around Luton trying to stay alive. On the train back to Euston I think we were the only ones not sporting head wounds.

Glory hunter, me

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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 08:31 - Jan 25 with 1032 viewsNewYorkRanger

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:34 - Jan 24 by GaryBannister86

Gosh, yes I hated that so much. So much. That West Ham cup tie and there was West Ham everywhere in SA Road. But when our third hit the net......loved it.


Oh yeah - I remember that one. We had to be escorted by the old bill across the pitch from the Paddock into the loft as there were so many West Ham in the Paddocks

Glory hunter, me

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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 08:53 - Jan 25 with 963 viewsstowmarketrange

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 08:21 - Jan 25 by NewYorkRanger

Strong agree - I'm a Dad and daughterer (but not one of the five mentioned here). That and the Marti Cifuentes song - the last line of that needs to be changed mostly because it's just awful!

Anyway, back to the theme here - I think a lot of it was due to crowd trouble. Pretty much every game in the 80's had some kind of incident. Probably the worst I can remember was Luton away in a cup replay (maybe 88). Home fans were baned for league games at Luton after the Millwall riot but FA Cup rules meant they had to allow away fans.

There was a police escort from the station before the game. There was not one for the return journey. Me and my mates spent an hour being chased all around Luton trying to stay alive. On the train back to Euston I think we were the only ones not sporting head wounds.


We were on the coach that had one of it’s windows shattered by the w@nkers.Not a pleasant night that one.
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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 08:57 - Jan 25 with 942 viewspaulparker

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 12:31 - Jan 24 by Paddyhoops

I remember been at home game against Sunderland game back in 89 . Saturday game but barely 9,000 at it .
On a non home game Saturday. I would go to Highbury with my Arsenal mate. They rarely went above 20,000 apart from London derbies and Liverpool and Man Utd.
In fairness they weren’t the saftest of places back in the day but that was half the thrill for me.


Sunderland were not in the first division in 89
Also Arsenal were going for the league that season so no way they were only getting 20k through the gate

And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles Brian Moore

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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 10:47 - Jan 25 with 831 viewsmart_Goblin

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:07 - Jan 24 by GaryBannister86

Brilliant. Just one of the many reasons the words to West London is Wonderful need to be changed, and fast.


I couldn’t agree more.

Every time I hear that song I feel like I’m back in the mid 80’s where even the mere site of a female at a football match would start the ‘get your bits out for lads ‘…or very similar if you know what I mean . Even as a pre teen I’d feel a little ashamed that the people I was so proud to be standing alongside were singing that nonsense. But it was across the board and every fan base .
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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 10:50 - Jan 25 with 829 viewsKensalT

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 08:57 - Jan 25 by paulparker

Sunderland were not in the first division in 89
Also Arsenal were going for the league that season so no way they were only getting 20k through the gate


You're right about Sunderland not being there in 88/89, and also about Arsenal's attendances.

Arsenal were averaging 36k that season

https://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/eng-premier-league-1988-1989/1/

QPR were getting 12k
[Post edited 25 Jan 12:41]
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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 12:01 - Jan 25 with 728 viewsBostonR

If we had an increased capacity I think we would be touching 25,000 at LR today.
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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 12:05 - Jan 25 with 720 viewsNewYorkRanger

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 08:53 - Jan 25 by stowmarketrange

We were on the coach that had one of it’s windows shattered by the w@nkers.Not a pleasant night that one.


indeed - one of the more unpleasant ones from the time. Of course, my comment above should say away fans were banned after the famous Millwall riot but the FA insisted on I think 25% allocation for away fans in the cup.

Not sure, but I think that Millwall riot was responsible for the introduction of football identity cards. Anyone remember them? No id card, no admission!

Glory hunter, me

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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 18:28 - Jan 25 with 547 viewsJuzzie

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 12:05 - Jan 25 by NewYorkRanger

indeed - one of the more unpleasant ones from the time. Of course, my comment above should say away fans were banned after the famous Millwall riot but the FA insisted on I think 25% allocation for away fans in the cup.

Not sure, but I think that Millwall riot was responsible for the introduction of football identity cards. Anyone remember them? No id card, no admission!


I think that came resulted in the proposed introduction of identity cards but I don’t think it happened and it was just Luton who introduced a self imposed ban on away fans.
I never had one and always got into games. Not aware of anyone who had them.
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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 18:45 - Jan 25 with 527 viewsBrianMcCarthy

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 18:28 - Jan 25 by Juzzie

I think that came resulted in the proposed introduction of identity cards but I don’t think it happened and it was just Luton who introduced a self imposed ban on away fans.
I never had one and always got into games. Not aware of anyone who had them.


I had one for years. never missed a Rangers game there.

Hated them back then. I know that our fans did plenty wrong to theirs over the years but my God that trip was something else. Blood everywhere. Even some of our very young kids were attacked.

"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
Poll: Player of the Year (so far)

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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 19:05 - Jan 25 with 504 viewsstainrods_elbow

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:53 - Jan 24 by charmr

Bristol City away 1978 at half time. Anyone else remember that police horse. I can also still picture Stan’s leg dangling to this day. Horrible site.

Our escorts back then we’re something out of scenes of captured soldiers being marched through previously occupied streets. Everything stopped, pubs emptied. To be fair police were very good at keeping the peace and sorting out the locals. Marches from the station at Leicester and Derby away for example.
[Post edited 24 Jan 16:00]


There's a website with a picture of Stanley's broken leg on it? That's a scandal!

Poll: Keep our 12 game pts return going, and it's a 73 pt finish! Playoffs?

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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 19:07 - Jan 25 with 498 viewsstainrods_elbow

Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:59 - Jan 24 by kensalriser

Kids today don't know they're born.

When I were a lad I used to have to walk ten miles to go to a game and hope I could pick up a few loose coins on the terrace for the bus fare back.

Every game I was beaten to a pulp and had to walk back barefoot because thugs had nicked my bus fare and boots. One time I was dismembered and the body parts scattered around the White City estate, no one called an ambulance because they wouldn't come out for the football, I had to pull myself together and get myself home in time for the kids' tea.

I never complained, I felt I was one of the lucky ones. Etc etc.



Poll: Keep our 12 game pts return going, and it's a 73 pt finish! Playoffs?

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Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 10:13 - Jan 26 with 258 viewsPaddyhoops

Almost 18,000 yesterday . Changed times indeed.
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